CVE-2026-98333: Linux kernel · wifi: mac80211: reset the LED state when ifup fails
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.4 Medium.
Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 04:43 UTC
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 6 Oct 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A fix is available that properly resets the LED state and stops the timer when bringing up the interface fails. Users should upgrade to patched Linux kernel versions that address this issue. No additional mitigations are specified or required beyond applying the official fix.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mac80211 WiFi subsystem causes the radio LED state and associated timer to not reset properly if bringing up the network interface fails. This can lead to a use-after-free condition related to the timer object. The issue affects specific Linux kernel versions and has been assigned CVE-2026-98333 with a high severity score.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-98333 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98333 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/78183e8331958fda11cd2b6850bb424a9747c4b2 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/78183e8331958fda11cd2b6850bb424a9747c4b2 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/de6f9561db572df86d65c05545eb2397313bb8a5 (opens in a new tab)